Easy Studio Stop-Motion Studio is a superb way to not only introduce students to the process of animation but also help them experience how geometric shapes interact and combine to make other shapes, objects, patterns, and designs. Consider introducing the topic of animation with a simple paper flip book, showing how animation occurs in its simplest form. Then introduce this app's basic tutorial and show how tapping to take a photo of each motion is similar to flipping to the next page in the flip book. This app really highlights the power of digital technology creation for students; comparing the amount of time it takes to create a seconds-long paper flip book to how long it takes to create a similar animation digitally will help students understand how empowering digital technology can be to the creative process.

Easy Studio Stop-Motion Studio (formerly Easy Studio - Introduction to Animation) is a success-oriented app that empowers students to try their hand at basic animation. It's based entirely on creating moving scenes with basic shapes. There's a quick voiceless and text-free tutorial once the app is loaded up that helps students make their first animation in minutes (or even seconds), then students can play through more tutorials or jump right into free play and creation.

Animating is very easy. Students simply fill in shapes, take a snapshot, fill in more shapes, take another snapshot, and so on, until they complete the animated scene. They then press play and watch the action. Students can resize and rotate shapes, and they can combine colors to make different colors. Students can also add an audio track with sounds they record themselves (requires access to the device's microphone) or with pre-recorded musical notes and silly sounds. In-app language settings can adjust text directions for students who speak English, Arabic, Chinese, traditional Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, or Turkish.

Students can learn basic animation skills, along with sequencing, following directions, and how geometric shapes can interact to create objects and designs. As students use the tools in this app, they'll also use their imagination and fine motor skills to make new digital creations, and they'll increase their understanding by synthesizing the knowledge they gain through the tutorials and leveled lessons. These lessons build on one another to establish a framework that allows students to understand the process of animation, which they can then apply by freely creating. Easy Studio makes jumping into animation incredibly easy, but some students may find themselves moving on quickly to more advanced apps.

Overall Rating

Engagement
Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Creating a simple animated video is nearly a sure thing on this well-designed, step-by-step app.

Pedagogy
Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

The tutorials introduce students to combining and animating shapes. The stop-motion-style animation gets students to think procedurally and create whatever they can imagine.

Support
Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

Students learn the basics through the tutorials. Students can view the elapsed time in each animation via a bar on the bottom of the screen, and they can save and view all their own animations in the Library.

Teacher Reviews

Altogether, I think that is a simple to use app that allows for creativity to extend any geometry lesson. There are many choices of shapes, backgrounds, stencils, and other items that students can choose from to create their own animation. Each feature available is easy to use and students quickly learn how to use the app. This app is a great starter app for animation, and can be a catalyst for future projects involving other animation apps or even green screening apps. If possible, I think it would be helpful to add some more functionality to this app, such as audio recording, typing features, and being to draw or write. This would allow students to create projects and share their creations with other students. Read full review

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